Solarize Seattle: Northeast is holding an event to celebrate the installation of the campaign’s first solar PV system. The Solarize Seattle: Northeast campaign intends to install solar on more than 50 Northeast Seattle homes by the summer of 2012. The campaign is a partnership between nonprofits Northwest SEED and Sustainable NE Seattle and local solar installation firms A&R Solar and NW Wind & Solar.
Media and community attendees will have the opportunity to watch the in-process installation of a 21 panel, 3.99 kilowatt made-in-Washington solar system. Solar installers from NW Wind & Solar will use a bucket truck to transfer material from ground-level to the roof, while representatives from Northwest SEED, Sustainable NE Seattle, A&R Solar, and NW Wind & Solar will be on hand to explain how the system works and provide a tour.
To date, more than 215 Northeast Seattle residents have registered to participate in Solarize Seattle: Northeast, a community effort designed to drive solar installations through a group purchase program. The campaign’s limited-time offer provides residents with a discounted price on solar and takes community members through a step-by-step process to purchase solar systems for their home or business. With the community leadership of Sustainable NE Seattle and Northwest SEED, the Solarize campaign intends to install more than 200 kilowatts of solar energy in Northeast Seattle by the summer of 2012 – enough annual energy to completely power 22 homes or 83 electric cars.
Northeast Seattle residents in the 98105, 98115, and 98125 zip codes are encouraged to find out more about Solarize Seattle: Northeast by visiting www.solarizewa.org or attending one of the program’s free educational workshops. The next workshop will take place March 24 from 1:30-3:00 PM at the Northgate Public Library (10548 5th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125). All workshops are free and open to the public. Registration for Solarize Seattle: Northeast is open through Monday, April 23rd.
Northwest SEED’s past Solarize campaigns in Queen Anne and Magnolia increased Seattle’s annual installation rate by 100% in 2011. Northwest SEED is a nonprofit organization with a mission to establish a clean, diverse, and affordable Northwest energy system based on the efficient use of renewable resources. We work directly with communities to identify practical solutions that support a sustainable local economy founded on locally owned energy assets.